#cuddles the ultimate utilitarian!

[dilfsonic]

Okay so, unpopular take that applies specifically to my Service Animal AU: Shadow and Maria are not siblings/“sibling coded.”

If you’ve read the notes on the original lore post describing them, you probably already know what I mean. While they can and will have moments of inspired ‘sibling’ like love for each other, that’s simply too disingenuous a way to describe them. They’re so much more. They’re each other’s only friend, they’re charge and ward, they can mimic the attitudes of siblings but never fully understand them, they have no romantic interests (until sonic shows up) and so mimic certain attitudes in that way with each other as well. But all of these are mere approximations and mimicry without fully encompassing any of those relationships. Shadow’s “affections” can be easily misconstrued for holding more weight than they actually are intended, as gestures such as hand holding/cuddling/purring are all utilitarian expressions meant to ease Maria’s physical discomfort or anxiety in accordance to his job as her service animal. Nothing more, nothing less. Maria knows this, but others can and do easily make their own assumptions.

I’ve been a little nervous to express this interpretation as I feel it can be really easily misunderstood, and I don’t want to give people the idea that even the immensely “”romantic”” or affectionate gestures or affiliations applied to them are actually meant to be shippy. Their love is an all encompassing one, and to call it sibling-like or romantic are both incorrect, as they’re neither. Ultimately applying any real world label to this au will be incorrect and a little too extreme in either direction; the closest possible relationship that may most accurately describe them is that between a service dog and their owner, if such a service dog was as intellectually capable of their human.

They’re what you get when you’re the only two people in your whole world. They’re what you get when you pair together someone who’s indebted to the other for their existence, which goes both ways. And by normal relationship standards, I would disagree to consider it a ‘healthy’ dynamic, but it also cannot be judged by the milestones of what a normal and healthy dynamic even looks like.

Shadow is nothing without her (in his own mind), and this lends itself to an inability to conceptualize a ‘self’ to even express. Maria hates how Shadow views himself — a tool, a trained dog, a guard, a companion of necessity — but she also can’t avoid using him accordingly. That means having no choice but to treat him not as a person, but as her crutch. Shadow is little aware of her internal struggle with the dehumanization of him because they communicate this almost never. Nor does he mind being dehumanized, he has never been a ‘person’ since the day he was created anyway.

Maria would love nothing more than to call Shadow a little brother, her best friend, someone who she could’ve had take her to prom because nobody at her school wanted to indulge the sickly child, nor did anyone even know her well enough considering she spent most of her time out of school than in it. She’d love to call Shadow these normal things, but she can’t. Not yet at least. Sonic will slowly change them and the way they can view friendship and the world and what it means to belong to each other, but it’s hard work on Shadow and Maria’s part.

They are something that can’t be easily defined, because it’s complex, and messy, and while there are bright moments of wonder and joy, is also overwhelmingly dark in its implications, and they can feel utterly alone even when standing right next to each other. Shadow owes Maria everything, and Maria owes Shadow everything, but each underestimates the full gravity of how their own existence touches and expands the other. They consider themselves worthless compared to the other, and that’s what gets in the way of them truly being able to open their hearts to each other. The way Sonic later teaches them HOW to open their hearts.

So yeah. I hope this concept of blurring the lines doesn’t scare too many folks, but this is based on my personal interpretation of how I feel a continued existence between them in canon or a canon adjacent world might have been like. I know it’s easy and delightful to see em like wholesome siblings — which is also an interpretation I wholeheartedly endorse and adore, particularly the way my bud @ratrrriot draws them (please go follow them if you don’t already, their shadow and maria artwork is to die for!) — but this is just a slightly different and admittedly darker take on them that I hope won’t ruffle too many feathers. Sibling coded relationships between characters are so wonderful, but in this case doesn’t feel satisfying or like it can possibly cover the scope of them for this particular au. I dislike labeling them or comparing them to another dynamic, like Sonic and Tails who are very explicitly brotherly with one another.

I may make a separate post on Sonic’s impact in this world and how he touches the lives of Shadow and Maria, Helen (when she comes along), and this world’s version of Robotnik (Julian) if people are interested in that. I take a lot of inspiration from his characterization in the Adventure games and Sonic X for this AU, as he’s most closely canon-aligned compared to Shadow and Maria who are a little different; though I’m gonna try my best to fit their “canon” personalities into a completely different scenario. Such as, Shadow lacks the innate hatred he has for mankind as he never loses Maria, but he will retain the “my body is a tool” mentality and the general uncaring of others opinions of him, etc.

[absolmon]

@tianyueary Is asking a series of questions and I'd like to collect all my answers together and explain them. TianYue is my favorite post canon pairing and I'm so excited for more content for them! Answers below the cut!

1. Who's more of a cuddler?

I think Yue Qingyuan is someone who desperately misses the casual touch he got as a nameless street kid surrounded by other street kids. He desperately wants to cuddle, but his position prevents him. Contrast with Tianlang Jun who probably doesn't have the instincts for cuddling on account of him being a demon. He loves to do it when initiated, but he never consciously thinks about it.

2. Who refuses to get up in the morning?

TLJ for sure! He's a hedonist to the bone, he'd never get up before he wants to. YQY has never had a good sleep schedule and he's to dedicated to lay in bed when he's needed.

3. Who's hair care routine is longer?

TLJ! He's much more vain then YQY and loves to try new things out with his hair. YQY is much more utilitarian.

4. Who has the better dog?

All! Dogs! Are! Good! Dogs! They totally need to do exposure therapy to get Liu Qingge and Zhuzhi Lang used to one another but they are both good boys.

5. Who's better at cooking?

I don't think TLJ knows how to cook, and I think YQY can cook simple dishes so he wins by default. No one ever craves YQY's cooking, but I don't think TLJ realizes that the only reason he hasn't gotten food poisoning is because he's a Heavenly Demon.

6. Who has the bigger wardrobe?

YQY has a closet full of official sect leader robes for every occasion, he uses it as another arm of diplomacy. TLJ on the other hand just wears whatever he comes across that he thinks looks cool, with ZZL compensating people stealthily behind him. He discards clothes just as quickly so usually he only really has the clothes on his back and whatever ZZL has stored away for emergencies.

7. Who's better at keeping surprises?

YQY is a secret keeper extraordinaire! He was willing to take his reasons for leaving Shen Jiu to the grave. TLJ can't keep a secret to save his life, he has no tact.

8. Who stays up later?

YQY! He totally overworks himself. TLJ is naturally nocturnal though, but he naps frequently.

9. Who has better handwriting?

YQY, he was trained super hard to have great handwriting to make up for the fact that when he came to Cang Qiong Mountain he could not read or write. TLJ is great at reading but he has a hard time writing human script.

10. Who is more likely to accidentally acquire a harem?

YQY is the Shen Yuan in this equation (the equation being that all ships in SVSSS are just iterations of Cumplane) so he has a large amount of people waiting for him to open up applications for spouses. TLJ I imagine actually has trauma from the Heavenly Demon expectation of having a large harem and I head canon that his sister died whilst trying to make a monster boy harem.

11. Who is more likely to seek comfort after a bad nightmare?

TLJ would totally try to be nonchalant about getting it but he'd cuddle up so quickly after a nightmare. YQY has long learned no one is going to care about his nightmares.

12. Who is the "he asked for no pickles" in the relationship?

YQY has made a career out of politely asking people to comply for the sake of others. He'd be so subtle about it but he wouldn't take no for an answer. TLJ would just go somewhere else and buy all their food to spite the other place then leave all the pickles from those meals on the doorstep of the first place.

13. Who said "I love you" first?

I think TLJ said it first but he played it off as a joke. He keeps quoting love confessions from his stories and plays but playing them off when YQY reacts with shock. YQY is the first one to actually say it and make it clear he means it.

14. Who made the first move?

TLJ for sure! He mostly did it for a reaction, but he keeps doing it because of the cute little micro expressions YQY makes about them.

15. Who plans more dates?

ZZL is the ultimate unappreciated wing snake. My poor boy needs to be paid for the shit he deals with.

16. Who's more romantic?

YQY is more romantic in a real sense. TLJ quotes things all the time but he doesn't really understand them. YQY will brush TLJ's hair out of his face and say how much he appreciates TLJ's honesty and that just makes TLJ turn into a demonic puddle.

Man this turned out long. There are still several polls going on @tianyueary and they've posted their prompts for TianYue week. Check them out!

[mellowswriting]

Cuddling

**This was the most requested headcanon and I had so much fun writing it! Enjoy!!

Mando: 

There were many things Mando didn’t realize he was missing out on until he met you. Basic things, like a healthy eating and sleeping schedule or having someone to just exist with in his ship. But the first time you curled up against him with your head tucked into his neck and one arm tossed over his chest… well, he was damn glad it was pitch black in the bunk so you couldn’t see how red his face had become.

How had he missed out on this for so long? The skin on skin, the feeling of your heartbeat and slow, peaceful breathing… having you in his arms is absolute heaven.

Once he realizes just how much he loves cuddling you, Mando will pull you against him literally whenever he wants. He loves pulling you into his lap when he’s piloting, especially when you straddle his thighs and just snuggle right into him, chest to chest. The amount of times he’s slung his arm over your shoulder and tucked you into his side while you sat in some cantina makes you automatically slide closer to him without a second thought.

He doesn’t really have a favorite way to cuddle you - anytime he has his hands on you is a good time - but he does particularly enjoy the post-sex, hazy cuddling. Your hands wander in the darkness, your fingers trail down his sternum and over his belly, along his ribs. It almost tickles, but your touch feels so damn good. The warmth of his skin against yours, still sweat slick and sensitive, soothes a need deep inside him to have you close and safe.

Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales:

Frankie is a very hands on lover. If it isn’t the all-encompassing press of his entire body against yours, he’s at the very least got one hand on you somewhere. He’ll pull your legs into his lap while the two of you are sitting on the couch together, curl one hand over your inner thigh while he’s driving and singing along to the radio in his truck, tuck his hand into your back pocket while you’re out in public together.  

But if he had his way, Frankie would just crush you into his bed every second of every day. He’s the type to wrap his arms around you and tuck one leg between your thighs and just… hold you close. It’s one of the few times where his mind can go peacefully blank, all his worries and stress falls away and the only thing that he can focus on is the warmth of your skin.

Frankie loves either almost or completely naked cuddling. As much skin on skin as he can manage, and this man is in heaven.

He prefers to spoon you, to wrap you up in his arms and bury his face in your hair. He can feel your breathing, every shift of your body in your sleep, and on the nights where he can’t sleep, it’s easy to ground himself with the line of your entire body against his.

Another thing about Frankie? He’s possessive. Not in a demeaning way, but it’s just that… you’re his, just like he’s yours. The boys rib him about it hard, too, but it doesn’t deter him. Frankie will still pull you into his lap and latch those greedy hands onto your thighs or ass with a shrug. No shame with this one.

Javier Peña:

Ugh. This man.

For someone who claims not to love it, he’s an amazing cuddler. He presses kisses all over your shoulder, face, and neck, rubs his hands over your arms and thighs in soothing circles, and just… holds you. Tight and firm against his chest, which rumbles so nicely as he mumbles about anything that pops into his head as he tries to fall asleep.

He grumbled the first few times but once you get situated against him, good luck getting away. The few times you’ve tried to get up to pee or get water always results in him pulling you closer the second you start to wiggle away and almost whining when you finally break free. If you give him a few kisses and promise to come back to him immediately, he’ll let you go. But if you’re gone longer than a couple minutes, he’s coming to find you and drag you back into his bed so he can snuggle you and fall back asleep.

Javier would never admit it aloud let alone ask for it, but he wants you to lay on him. Like, full on, chest to chest, your face tucked into his shoulder and your legs tangled with his. The full-body press of your weight against him is beyond calming and every time you do crawl on top of him, he could just tear you apart. It’s such an intense feeling, it explodes in his chest and all he can do is wrap his arms around you and dig his fingertips into your soft flesh.  

Ezra:

After a long and exhausting day of harvesting, Ezra loves curling up with you. His body is aching, his mind exhausted, and you provide a solace that can’t be found anywhere else. He loves to lay his head on those soft thighs of yours and doze while you read or tinker with whatever metal you’re trying to fix. 

It’s impossible for him not to hold you or be held by you in some way. If you sit down next to him, he’s pulling you as close as possible, as if he’s trying to meld the two of you together, consume you, make you his entirely. 

These are the times that Ezra really feels like he doesn’t deserve you. You’re so...soft. So giving. So gentle. Ezra doesn’t see himself as a good man. The exact opposite, actually. How could he ever deserve so much good? He only whispers those fears to you in the dead of night, when all has settled and the only sounds are the steady whirring of pod’s the air filters and you’re practically on top of each other on the cot only meant for one. You just hold him as he speaks, running your fingers through his curls and resisting the urge to interrupt him. He deserves to get it all out. 

But once he’s done. You whisper your praises right back to him, pausing every few words to kiss him anywhere you can reach; his cheeks, his lips, his neck, his chest. You tell him how much you love him, how admirable his hard work is, how funny he is, how his voice drips like honey with that drawl that gives you shivers. He’ll hold you even tighter, something you didn’t think possible.

Marcus Pike:

PERFECT BOYFRIEND ALERT

However you’re willing to cuddle him, Marcus is there and ready to goooo!!! He lives for those early morning, groggy moments where he’s just woken up and the very first thing he sees is you, your face slack and peaceful with sleep, a bit of drool collecting at the corner of your mouth. If he’s sure you’ve gotten a good amount of rest, Marcus happily kisses you awake and keeps you in bed for as long as possible. It feels so natural, it has from the very beginning.

Marcus is the type who knows what he wants, but his previous heartbreaks have him hesitant in that sureness. The first time he woke up with you on his chest like that had been entirely unintentional. Neither of you had meant to fall asleep, obvious by the fact that he was still in his slacks and you in your jeans, and Marcus didn’t want to intrude or be presumptuous, so he tried to slip away. You woke, of course, and he tried to apologize, but you just smiled at him and said, “You’re so warm. Get back over here.” Marcus was in awe as you began unbuttoning his dress shirt, muttering about wanting him to be comfortable. Once he was down to his boxers and you were down to your tank top and underwear, you just snuggled right back up to him. You rubbed your cheek on his bare chest as you settled in and it took Marcus’s breath away. That was when he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life like this with you.

And he makes good on that every single day.

His favorite place to cuddle is in his bed. The plush mattress and soft blankets make it even more comfortable to lay with you for hours like he wants to. Marcus loves spooning because he can touch you all over; he can hold your hand, rub your thighs, grab onto your ass. Plus it’s the perfect way to wake up when you playfully grind against his morning wood.

But the ultimate position? Your legs over his shoulders, his head leaned back towards your belly. It’s his favorite way to prop his head up to see the television as you lean against the headboard and read a book, the two of you simply enjoying each other's presence and warmth.

Max Phillips:

Fuck, you’re just so fucking warm and soft and Max cannot get enough. His body temperature isn’t frigid, just a few ticks below normal thanks to his undead status, but it’s enough to be able to notice a difference. You warm him up better than any steaming cup of coffee or heavy blanket ever could.

That’s why he straight up lays on top of you. Max ignores your grunts and annoyed sounds as he clambers on top of you and buries his face in your neck. He can hear your pulse, smell the sweet, delicious smell of your blood, and feel your warmth like this. You’ve practically got a purring vampire on your hands like this.

Max loves to feed off of you while he snuggles and I refuse to believe otherwise. He gives you the puppy dog eyes even though he really doesn’t need to beg. The sight of you sweeping your hair off to one shoulder is enough to have him squishing you into the mattress and burying his teeth in your neck.

He’s even more handsy when he’s practically drunk on your blood. Max is 100% gonna try to fuck you while he feeds off of you.

Pero Tovar:

Pero didn’t really know the simple pleasure of curling up with someone he loved. He knew fucking, usually a utilitarian visit to a brothel to ease some of the tension that plagued him. That wasn’t the kind of situation he stuck around to cuddle afterwards. You show him, though.

The first time you turned over to lay your head on his chest, Pero didn’t know what the fuck to do with himself. He kept his hands raised with his elbows propped up on the mattress and stared down at you with his eyebrows furrowed. Eventually he lets his arm settle over your shoulders but that’s as far as he goes, not yet realizing that he can find comfort here.

Slowly but surely, Pero begins to find solace in your embrace and once he learns that it makes you feel safe and loved, he can’t get enough. He craves it, the feeling of your body pressed against his under the blankets of your shared bed, the way you rub his calves with your feet, the contrast of your soft, supple skin against his scarred body.

He’s a nuzzler, especially when he first wakes up. He loves to rub his face against your neck and shoulder, especially since his facial hair makes you giggle and squirm against him. It’s a delightful, bright sound and the perfect way to start his day. It can be difficult to convince either of you to get out of bed to tend to your daily chores. Yes, the firewood needs to be cut and there are clothes that need mending, but a few more minutes spent in each other’s arms won’t hurt, right?

Maxwell Lord: 

Not gonna lie, the first few times you were in Maxwell’s bed was not for soft and sweet purposes and there wasn’t any cuddling happening afterwards, either. No, it was always hot and heavy sex followed by snatching up clothes and leaving with a wink and the promise of ‘see you next time’. It was therapeutic, the mutual stress relief of meaningless sex.

Until it suddenly wasn’t so meaningless.

That first time Maxwell woke up in your bed had been entirely accidental. Both of you were absolutely exhausted before he fucked you into your mattress, so afterwards you were dead to the world. He was only going to close his eyes for a few minutes, but then he woke up with his chest pressed against your back and your hair in his face and why the fuck wasn’t he panicking. He feels like he should be panicking. But instead, the soft rise and fall of your chest was mesmerizing. Maxwell blamed the fact that your breasts were still bared for his greedy eyes and shook it off.

The second time, though? Maxwell found himself needing you there. The last time the two of you had sex, you had left his penthouse with a lingering kiss and a satisfied smile that had pride burning a hole through his chest, but he couldn’t fucking sleep. So when you sighed and swung your legs over the side of his bed, Maxwell’s arms wrapped around your waist and dragged you back to the middle of his huge bed.

“It isn’t safe for you to be walking around at night, you can wait until morning.” But you could see through his convenient excuse right to the vulnerability in those pretty brown eyes. So you laid right back down and couldn’t help but smile when Maxwell’s arm hesitantly fell over your waist. The way you melted into his embrace made Maxwell pull you flush against him and bury his face in your hair.

That morning you woke up to Maxwell getting dressed and what a sight that was. The moment he realized, he left the room and returned a moment later with a coffee from your favorite cafe. He was almost bashful when he shrugged and said he had it delivered so you wouldn’t have to rush out. You weren’t bashful about dragging him back into the bed, though. Ever since then, it was an unspoken and expected comfort.

Maxwell likes spooning. He feels like he’s keeping you safe with his body curled around yours. And if you’re entirely naked against him, he’s even happier. All of that bare skin for his greedy hands…

He also loves laying his head on your chest. You always play with his hair (you’re the only person he lets do that, too) and it makes shivers dance along his skin. Again, bonus if you’re naked but there’s no guarantee that he won’t tease your nipples until they’re pebbled and sensitive.

[emilykatie]

Valentine Day Gifts that are as Effective as Cupid’s Arrow

You can never be prepared for love, just as you can never be prepared for the onslaught that follows in the wake of Valentine’s Day. Anyways, it’s always better to be prepared or have a contingency plan in case something doesn’t go as planned. Celebrated as the official day to celebrate the love between two people, Valentine’s Day is the official day to celebrate love worldwide. However, if you wait too long there’s always the possibility, that the D-Day will catch you as unexpectedly as Cupid’s arrow which caught you unaware and led you to this moment. However, if you have already made plans to woo your partner than it is a very thoughtful and foresighted gesture on your part, but if you have been victim to some unforeseen circumstances then you can always check out these amazing Valentine Day gifts that will make your partner fall head over heels in love with you, all over again.

 Designer Cakes for Valentine

 As Valentine’s Day is the occasion to show the depth of your love to your partner, this rule applies to both males and females. Being on the receiving end always is good but tampers with the balance of the relationship, and a guy doesn’t always need to pay just because convention demands it. So ladies, let’s bend the rules a little this Valentine's Day to shower your man with love. It is universally acknowledged that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so why not gift him with a sumptuous cake online. Surprise him with a designer cake that is crafted artistically and baked with love. As cakes are the ultimate present for every occasion and top the list for online birthday gifts, you can never go wrong with this perfect gift to make your Valentine’s Day a memorable one.

 Beautiful Blooms to Express Love

 Some people may argue that cakes are very common these days, so why not exchange it for flowers. These gorgeous blooms are an excellent way to express love in just the right amount. With an endearing charm, this floral surprise offers subtlety and sophistication in a very expressive manner. This classic gift item can also be improvised to make a trendy surprise with chocolates and flowers in a bouquet. Needless to say, there is no better Valentine gift for a girlfriend than this bouquet of assorted chocolates and flowers artistically arranged you can give to your special lady. This is an interesting combo of flowers and chocolates that your beloved will surely enjoy.

 Personalized Gifts and Knickknacks

 If your partner has an interest in collecting knickknacks there is nothing better than personalized gifts which are considered as a thoughtful gesture. You can find them in gift stores, antique shops, or even online gifting stores and websites that offer doorstep services for online gift delivery in Delhi or someplace else. It could be anything from printed mugs with personalized messages or wood engraved key chains and holders or even snow globes and music boxes. These sweet gifts make the best memories as keepsakes and mementos that celebrate the uniqueness of your relationship.

   A Puppy for Valentine

 As Valentine Day Gifts are all about love, why not invest in your relationship with a living breathing Valentine Day gift that will surely make you a hero in your girlfriend’s eye. Of course, we are talking about a puppy. There is nobody who cannot fall in love with these little bundles of energy and don't want to cuddle them. Not only do chicks dig puppies, but this will also be a symbolic gesture to take your relationship to the next level, as you both share your responsibilities in caring for this fur ball. The best gift for birthdays and gifts for anniversary, a pet puppy also tops the list for Valentine Day gifts for girlfriend that will earn you brownie points.

 Lovely Gift Baskets

 However, if you cannot deal with the excitement of a puppy there are still some understated gifts that are trending the rounds. How about an actual love package that contains all your favorites and goodies in one basket? From bath products to essential oils, scented candles, healthcare products, makeup items, baked goods, chocolates, wine bottles, and techie items these gift baskets are in huge demand and can be customized on demand. Along with serving utilitarian purposes, these gift hampers and care packages are a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious online birthday gift to give to your other half.

 Love Surpasses Distance

 Valentine Day celebrates the closeness and intimate relationship of two people. Even if you are separated from your loved ones, and feeling upset because of the distance separating you then these gifts are easily available online, should you wish to send them to your loved one. After all, when it comes to love, distance only makes the heart grow fonder, and these romantic gestures will pierce your partner’s heart like Cupid’s arrow.